Press release
“More watchmaking, more mastery, more innovation, more daring, more fusion!”... This was the encouragement that Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of Hublot, gave the new Complications department which reinforced the Hublot Manufacture in 2010.
To mark the 2011 Basel Fair Hublot is presenting a world first, with a minute repeater watch featuring two “cathedral” type gongs, a tourbillon and column wheel chronograph, with carbon fiber bridges, in a case made from carbon fiber. This is a perfect illustration of “Fusion” between great watchmaking tradition and the technology of the future. It is a timepiece with a sophisticated mechanism, featuring three major Haute Horlogerie complications particularly prized by connoisseurs and collectors, but revisited in a resolutely contemporary spirit: The main particularity lies in the fact that the three complications are visible from the dial side.
Besides the carbon fibre, the case is also fashioned with materials such as titanium and rubber, which is a perfect illustration of the Art of Fusion key to Hublot.
From a design point of view, the minute repeater bolt is ingeniously integrated into the King Power case middle, just like the chronograph control push-piece subtly integrated into the watch's crown. The minute repeater, activated by means of a lever situated between 8 and 10 o'clock, sounds the hours, quarter-hours and minutes. Its two “cathedral” gongs (one for hours and the other for minutes) are double the length of a regular gong. The whole design aims for a very uncomplicated overall effect for a piece of this level.
The manual-winding mechanical movement boasts a 5-day power reserve. The hour and minute indicator is situated centrally, for a conventional readout. The flying tourbillon – with suspended cage – is situated at 6 o'clock, and features an unusual structure of very high quality: indeed, the cage rotates without a ball bearing, and has a Swiss lever escapement.
"Cathedral" Minute Repeater Tourbillon and column wheel Chronograph
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Reference 704.QX.1137.GR
Case: “King Power” - Diameter 48 mm in matt carbon fiber
Bezel: 6 H-shaped titanium screws, countersunk, polished & locked
Crystal: Sapphire with interior anti-reflective treatment
Lateral inserts: Black composite resin
Case-back: Matt carbon fiber
Crown: Black PVD titanium
Screws: Titanium
Dial: Matt black with satin-finished black nickel appliques and silvered
White and red powder transfers
Hands: Faceted, satin-finished and micro-blasted, black nickel, skeleton
Movement HUB 8100 Flying tourbillon without ball bearing
Dimensions: Diameter: 30 mm
Thickness: 9.47 mm (Diameter of chime gongs: 32.60 mm)
Functions: Hour, minute and seconds via the cage
Minute repeater
Cathedral chime gong
Single push-piece chronograph at 3 o'clock (60-sec. and 30-min. counter)
Manual winding
2-position stem Manual winding and time-setting
No. of Components: 404
Jewels: 37
Hairspring: Flat, for extreme position setting
Frequency: 21,600 Vib/hour (3 Hz)
Power Reserve: Approximately 120 hours
Oscillator: Hublot Balance with adjustment inertia-blocks
Shock absorbers: Shock absorption for main plate and balance bridge
Main plate: Brass, bevelled with drawn rims, and circular-grained recesses
Black ruthenium coating
Bridges: Carbon fiber, brass, bevelled with drawn rims & circular-grained recesses
Black nickel coating
Gear train: Circular-grained&bevelled wheels, coating: black ruthenium, rolled pinions
Screws: Polished and bevelled heads, rounded and polished ends
Wristlet: Black alligator gummy, stitched onto black rubber inner
Clasp: Ceramic and black PVD deployant buckle
